Garment rack



March 18, 1952 R. A. MAGNUSON ETAL 2,589,947

GARMENT RACK Filed July 12. 1949 5 25 INVENTORS o h-1o muemz 2 J\. TYlolgnusOr\ 24, :Js chnstu use-m \26 52 26V J 3'- Patented Mar. 18, 1952 2,589,947 GARMENT RACK Raymond A. Magnuson and Nels M. Christiansen, Chicago, Ill., assignors to R. A. Magnuson and A. Magnuson, copartners, doing business as Vogel-Peterson 00., Chicago Ill.

Application July 12, 1949, Serial No. 104,214

1 Claim.

The present invention relates generally to garment racks and has especial reference to improvements in garment racks of the type permitting disassembly when not in use.

It is a general object of'the invention to provide an improved garment rack which while permitting of ready assembly and disassembly without the necessity of screws, bolts or the like yet nevertheless presents when assembled an exceedingly rigid structure capable of being" handled without danger of accidental collapse.

Another and more specific object of. the invention lies in the provision of novel-connecting means facilitating the assembly of the elements of a garment rack of the above'character and serving to retain the same in assembled relation.

The objects of the invention thus generally set forth, together with other objects and ancillary advantages, are obtained by the construction and arrangement shown by way'of illustration in the accompanying drawings, inbwhich:

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of a garment rack embodying the features of the present'invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rack illustrated in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5.is a fragmentary plan view of a shelf end and a crossrail to which it is to be' connected.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 66 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view illustrating the joint between the bottom rail and the lower crossrail of the exemplary rack.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood, however, that it is not thereby intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but it is intended to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirt and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

Racks of the general class concerned here provide storage space intended primarilyfor coats and hats and similar articles. When their use is not required, they may be disassembled and stored. One such rack embodying particularly advantageous features is disclosed in the applicants copending application Serial No. 617,716 filed September 21, 1945, now Patent No. 2,589,269 of March 18, 1952.

The exemplary rack comprises in general a pair of side frames I0 interconnected at their bottoms by a bottom 'rail I2 and adjacent their tops by one or more shelves I4. Each of the side frames I0 includes a pair of upright posts I6, a plurality of spaced upper crossrails IT, a bottom crossrail I8 and an intermediate crossrail I9. Each of these crossrails is interconnected with the posts I6. The posts may be of wood or preferably, as illustrated, of sheet metal of relatively light gauge bent into generally channelshape. The crossrails-I1, I8 and I9 are preferably of inverted channel form and have their ends received in the-posts I6 where they are secured as by welding. l I v The bottom rail I2, which may advantageously be of open tubular section similar to that of the 'posts I6, serves to maintain the lower ends of the side frames II] in spaced relation. Thus adjacent its ends the bottom rail I2 is provided with downwardly openingnotches 20 for coaction with similar but upwardly opening notches ZI formed centrally of the bottom crossrails I8 of the side frames I0 (Fig. 7).

Braces 24 extendacross the corners between the bottom rail IZ'and the side frames I0 and have appropriate connections thereto. The braces are of channel-shape to provide adequate strength. In the present instance, the braces are hinged at 25 to the intermediate crossrails I9, and when the rack is assembled their lower ends fall behind steps 26 rigid with the bottom rail I2. To seat the braces behind the stops 26, the side framess'lll may be tilted outwardly slightly relative to the bottom rail I2, as shown in phantom in Fig. 2, sufficient play being provided in the joint 20, 2| to permit such-movement. Thereafter the side frames are moved inwardly until the lower'end of the bracesseat tightly against the strips 26.

Means are provided to maintain the end frames I0 in a pre-stressed condition against the action of the corner braces 24. In the present instance the shelves I4 are utilized for this purpose and thus are adapted to act under tension to hold the upper ends of th 'side frames I0 drawn together and to maintain; the braces 24 under compression. By such pre' ls'tressing all play is eliminated and a rigid assembly is produced. As shown, each of the shelves I4 comprises a series of transverse members 30 which are also of channel shape heldin spaced relation by end pieces 3 i The latter have horizontal portions 3 la overlying the ends of the members 30 and to which they are rigidly secured as by welding. Preferably, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the end pieces 3 I of the shelves without any lower shelf i i are of generally triangular shape for supporting a garment hanger rail 32 in vertically spaced relation to the members 39. To this end an auxiliary U-shaped member 34 is provided which has its web portion fixed at the apex of each end piece so that the legs thereof extend inwardly. The hanger rail 32 which is of inverted U-shape has its ends slipped over these auxiliary members 34 and fastened thereto as by ordinary bolts 35. The end pieces 3i for the upper shelf [4 may be formed simply of ordinary angle stock.

In carrying out the present invention, novel means, operative as an incident to the movement of separation of the end frames iii, are provided to interlock the elements of therack so as to prevent collapse thereof. In the present instance, such interconnecting means are interposed between the ends of the tension members .(herein the shelves i4) and the side frames i9 and comprise tongue-and-slot connections which are operative both to maintain the aforesaid prestressed condition and also to permit rough handling of the rack and lifting thereof by the danger of accidental disengagement. In the exemplary form of the invention, each shelf end is .provided with a T-shaped tongue 19 which is adapted to be received in a complementarily shaped slot 4| in the upper crossrailsl'l of the side frames i0. Preferably, each shelf is provided with at least two tongues and accordingly each of the upper crossrails i! has two slots 4| therein. As shown, the longitudinal leg portion 40a of each tongue is rigidly secured adjacent its end to the underside Of the horizontal part Sla of the shelf end piece 3!, and the tongue cross piece iiib is disposed substantially beyond the vertical portions of the end pieces 3!. Similarly, the slots 4! have crossportions Lila thereof formed in the webs of the crossrails 11 substantially inward from the inner downturned legs of the rails so as to leave portions 42 adapted to partially overlie the tongue portions 99b whenthe latter are engaged in the slots 4!. When thus engaged, the tongue cross pieces 4% of'the tongues 49 rest upon the upper surface of a channel-shaped member lia rigidly secured within the channel-shaped cross rails H,

all as best shown in Fig. 1. Thus with the shelf 14 under tension the portions &2 from limiting abutments or stops which serve to prevent accidental dislocation of the tongues so from the slots 4! and interlocking is insured.

The assembly of the instantgarment rack will' be apparent from the foregoing, however, it may be briefiyoutlined as follows; With the notches 20 in the bottom rail i2 engaged in the notches 2| in the lower crossrails i8, and the side frames swung outwardly to permit insertion Of the lower ends of the corner braces 24 behind their stops 26, the frames are then drawn-together thereby tightly seating the braces 2t against the stops 2%. Next with the tongues' ifi id inserted in the slots I! of one of the side frames It, the frames are drawn even closer toward each other until the tongues ii] enter the slots 4! of thecorrespondof one of the shelves 4| of an upper crossrail ing upper crossrails I! of the other side frame.

" The drawing together of the side frames prefore, that the rack can pair stresses the assembly so that upon release, the shelf l4 remains under tension with the cross pieces 19?) of the tongues 40 disposed beneath the crossrail stops 42. It will be evident, therebelifted by any of its component members, and more particularly by the shelves i4, without danger of collapse of the rack.

' We claim:

A knock-down garment rack comprising, in combination, a pair of end frames each having a of vertical bars with cross bars at the upper and lower ends thereof, a bottom rail having detachable connections at its opposite ends with the lowercross bars of said end frames engageable as an incident to downward movement of the rail relative to said cross bars, diagonal compression braces interposed between said end frames and said bottom rail, an upper rigid tension member, and detachable connections joining the opposite ends of said member with the upper cross bars of the end frames to hold the end frames drawn together in normal positions with said braces under compression and acting on the bottom .rail to maintain the connection between the ends of said rail and the end frames against disengagement, said endframes being capable of resilient yielding when drawn together beyond their normal positions for connection with said upper tension member, the second-mentioned connections including interengaging elements rigid with said upper tension member and said upper cross bars, respectively, and maintained in interlocking relation by the resiliency of said end frames when in their normal positions; one of said elements having a part disposed beneath an overlying portion of the other element when said frames are in their normal positions to prevent aceidental movement of said tension memher with respect to said end frames longitudinally of the latter by engagement of said one element with said overlying portion of said otherelement when the end frames and tension member are in their normal positions, said elements being disengageab-le upon moving the part of said one element from beneath said overlying portion of said other element-as an incident to movement of said end frames closer together than when in their said normal positions.

RAYMOND A. MAGNUSON. NELS M. CHRISTIANSEN.

REFERENCES CITED ihe following references are of record in the hie of this patent: V

UNITED STATES- PATENTS 

